Through this ongoing series we’re highlighting our efforts as a certified B Corp and Best for the World company to meet the world’s highest standards for social and environmental responsibility.

We believe it’s important to be transparent and honest in all aspects of our business, especially environmental sustainability. So many companies practice greenwashing that it causes a lack of trust among consumers, and we don’t want to be part of the confusion.

It’s why we didn’t have to think twice about sharing this update on our zero-waste goal: though we continue to reduce and eliminate landfill-bound waste from our company, we simply had to recognize that we were not going to become zero-waste in 2020 as we originally planned.

We’ve been so committed to this goal that we achieved a 75% reduction in landfill-bound waste and widely shared our goal to eliminate it by 2020. We ran into challenges, however, that are going to take longer to solve. We’ve also come to recognize inherent issues in systems like recycling that make claims of zero-waste something to evaluate carefully.

In recognition of everything we’ve learned, we wanted to share some of our wins and some of our setbacks and challenges. It’s not a complete list (that could fill a book!) but it does provide a sense for the bigger picture:

Zero-Waste Wins

Eliminating plastic straws from the tasting room

Metal straw in a Dark and Snowy Rum Cocktail.

Sometimes an old cocktail photo pops up that still has one of those little black straws (plastic of course), and it makes us cringe! Using stainless steal straws has provided a great alternative and proven to be an excellent conversation starter. When customers ask about the straws, it’s a great way to talk about our zero-waste goals and plant seeds that might cause them to make changes too.

Hosting waste-free rum education events

While coronavirus has put a hold on many in-person events, we remain committed to hosting them waste-free when we host them in person. When Karen introduces people to Montanya rum, she pours tastings in reusable shot glasses, and you’ll never find plastic dishes or cutlery. This holds true whether she’s standing behind a booth at a tasting event or hosting lunch for industry VIPs. Sometimes venues and events can’t or won’t accommodate this requirement, which means we don't attend or we find another location. These are compromises we’re willing to make!

Finding New Partners

One of the primary forms of plastic we still use is plastic film, in small quantities in the Tasting Room (think things like saran wrap) and in the shipping of pallets (receiving empty bottles before bottling). We were able to form a partnership with a local grocery store chain that allows us to recycle that film since the service isn’t provided through our local recycling company.

We’ve also discovered an organization called rePurpose Global, which helps companies reduce plastic use and offset plastic use by channeling funds into worldwide programs that remove plastics from oceans and rivers and repurpose them. Much like carbon offsetting, it’s not a replacement for the reduction or elimination of plastic but it is an exciting new way to manage our environmental impact. We now offset our plastic use by funding innovative new waste management programs in communities most affected by indiscriminate dumping of plastic.

(Though not strictly related to waste, Terrapass, Owens-Illinois—our Cradle to Cradle certified glass supplier—and Arcadia, which helps us power of facilities with wind energy, have also been great partners and crucial in our environmental sustainability efforts.)

Zero-Waste Setbacks and Challenges

Loss of our Composting partner

At one time, we listed composting under wins. And then our composting partner let go of its commercial accounts, and we were back to square one. Because we’re based in a rural area, the solution wasn’t as simple as finding another company.

Thankfully, we did find an innovative solution—demonstrating the cyclical nature of managing sustainability efforts. We purchased and installed an LFC Biodigester, which turns organic waste from our bar and restaurant as well as distilling into grey water. It can safely go down the drain or be used in the garden. It’s been a great reminder that a sustainability problem once solved isn’t always permanently solved. But with creativity and persistence, setbacks like these can be overcome.

Cultural Habits

Even coffee cups have plastic linings and lids. Photo by Olena Sergienko on Unsplash

It’s easy to value the reduction of waste and another matter to change behavior. We are so lucky to employ committed, smart, intelligent staff whose employment manual makes it clear that this is a low-waste environment on its way to zero waste. Yet when we host our annual retreat or new staff members join the team, it’s not uncommon to see single use trash make an occasional appearance. We’re working on new ways to incentivize low-waste and no-waste behavior.

Flawed recycling Systems

Recycling is an imperfect process. It’s getting harder for the major players in our region of the country to find places to take recycling. The places that still process recycling are getting pickier about what they accept. All it takes is one item that doesn’t belong for a whole truck load to be turned away.

Add national and international factors, and the situation gets murkier. China, for example, used to take a lot of the world’s plastic and no longer does. rePurpose Global reports that 74% of plastic never gets recycled—a discouraging statistic that serves as a good reminder: recycling isn’t the feel-good act it once was.

Acknowledging We Cast a Wide Net

It’s also worth noting that any company claiming to be zero-waste relies on partnerships with other businesses. In our Tasting Room alone, there’s the food supplier, the toilet paper supplier, and the cleaner. Until recently, we also had landlords (in February of 2020 we were able to purchase the building that houses our Tasting Room and Distillery thanks to the support of dedicated investors, and now manage it ourselves).

For the distillery, there are label makers, bottle suppliers, and box makers. We also work with distributors across the country and in Europe. We vet our partners carefully and have been lucky enough to find many like-minded businesses, such as our Cradle to Cradle certified bottle supplier. But it does beg the question: Can a company claim to be waste-free if its partners are not? And who does the verification to make sure those partners stay waste-free?

There is Still a Place for Going Zero-Waste

We want to be clear: we’re not arguing against zero-waste goals. Reducing and eliminating trash is a worthwhile endeavor. (Again, just look at rePurpose Global statistics: 8.8 million tons of plastic enter the oceans every year. Stemming that tide is critical!) We simply think it’s important to be honest about what that entails and transparent about our own journey.

Zero-Waste Wins